Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo has forcefully condemned prosecutors over an ongoing investigation into political funds tied to his 2021 presidential primary and 2022 mayoral primary campaigns. In a public statement issued on the 30th, Hong denied all allegations of illegal fundraising, demanded an immediate direct summons, and accused law enforcement of employing heavy-handed pressure tactics.
Inspecting Legacy Ledgers from Past Primaries
The investigation centers on historical campaign expenditures from the October 2021 presidential primary and the March 2022 Daegu mayoral primary. According to statements released by Hong, investigators are scrutinizing whether these operations involved fabricated transactions or violations of the Political Fund Act. However, the core of the dispute lies in a fundamental disagreement over compliance history. Hong maintains that the financial records in question underwent thorough field inspections by the National Election Commission (NEC) four to five years ago and were formally closed.
Police and prosecutors are reportedly examining the money trails independently of previous accounting settlements to determine if discretionary fund creation occurred during the cycles. Yet, the friction between the subject and the state has quickly escalated past routine compliance checks into a high-stakes political showdown.
Accusations of Abuse and Media Leaks
Taking to social media, Hong did not mince words regarding the methods deployed by investigators. He criticized the use of search warrants, travel bans, and aggressive media leaks as clear violations of authority.
Hong stated that framing someone with charges they did not commit, conducting search warrants, imposing travel bans, and playing the media constitutes the crime of abuse of authority and the crime of publishing false facts, adding that plenary investigative power was not granted for such purposes.
Challenging the Slush Fund Narrative
Hong specifically referenced Myung Tae-kyun, noting that Myung had previously clarified that no polling fees were ever received from him. Questioning why authorities waited nearly a year and a half before advancing theories of fabricated campaign transactions to build slush funds, Hong challenged the competency and motives behind the probe. He demanded an end to the intimidation of volunteer workers who assisted his past campaigns, calling instead for investigators to question him directly.
Hong stated that if he is at fault, he will go to prison,
while warning that he intends to hold officials strictly accountable through both civil and criminal actions if the abuse of investigative power continues. He closed his public rebuke by urging authorities to cease pressuring powerless volunteers over non-existent facts, demanding that they call him directly instead of engaging in tactics he compared to historical colonial-era policing.
Re-Examining Historical Political Financing
As the legal battle unfolds, the inquiry highlights deep friction over how historical political financing is re-examined years after regulatory bodies have cleared the books. With Hong publicly daring prosecutors to bring him in for direct questioning, the resolution of this case will depend heavily on whether investigators can substantiate claims of irregular transactions beyond what standard NEC audits previously recorded.
